I credit these shows as to the time when I really "crossed over". I had been to two or three shows prior to this, but drove to these shows from CT with two friends in a purple mail jeep. I had no intention of going and told my buddies I wasn't going to go. Fortunately, they insisted and I caved and went. We bought a bag and some paper while stuck in traffic getting into Oxford. We camped out in some poor souls backyard. I recall going into their house to use their restroom on the morning of 7/3 and seeing a good 6 fellow heads sitting around the breakfast table! I wound up having a dose the morning of 7/3 and wandering off into the woods about 10 feet away from a parking lot and thought I was lost in the Maine wilderness. Los Lobos eventually came on and I followed the sound of the music back to civilization. These two shows were definitely a defining time for me.

This was a great sounding show. I remember waking to the back to use the facilities and thinking "this is the best sounding Porta-Potty I have ever been in"
I'm sure the shrooms helped

This has a great sound and song selection. They really sound like they're enjoying themselves. Listen to Jerry on that Sugaree. Talk about the off the wall places only the Dead could play.

Happy 50th Grateful Dead !

1988 was a time when the band could still dig deep and leave you walking out after the show finding it hard to put a sentence together.This show was the kind where you eat a couple quaaludes and sit back while burning green skunk like hard buds because the night before or the show before you went strong to the visine bottle or more likely big fungi.The songs were more or less short but it was cool because the band was digging it. The nite before this one was the kind you drove strong to the cup. The weirdest thing and trust we liked to make sure things were the weirdest they could be.I gotta make sure of one thing.WAS THAT REAL SNOW COMING DOWN IN JULY UP AROUND OXFORD PLAINS? A week or so b4 these shows we were in wisconsin for some shows and we BAKED every day and even on the day off between shows. Dylan played the nite before and it was 100 degrees that day as well.You have no idea how much i miss those times and shows.While in wisconsin the band stayed 2 floors above us in Lake Geneva and the coolest thing was there were no other freaks staying there so it was not unusual to walk down to get smokes and see jerry and his little girl who he pushed in a stroller.Or when it was time to get over to east troy the whole band was milling around the lobby or catching a smoke outside. AS long as you didn't weird out they were more than friendly.

Ended up with a bunch of tickets to this show, provided some miracles on the way in. Sat in the bleachers with our 2 year-old and talked about daycare, etc. with the other older folks while the kids danced in front of the stage. Second show on the 4th was marked by snow--gotta love summer in Maine. If I remember right Levon Helm opened--how can you go wrong?

I think the boys loved Maine--they came here a lot in the late 70's through the mid 80's. Maybe it was the lobster.....................

Anyone interested in a sonically perfect recording should download this FOB. It could easily be mistaken for a soundboard (although it will be clear to anyone who compares this with the actual SBD that this isn't from the board - not to say it's better or worse, just sounds different). Excellent job recording, Bob, and thanks to Chuck for the excellent transference. Going from 1-bit doesn't hurt either!